Why Kate Upton’s Twist on Hip Thrusts Is a Great Butt-Strengthening Move

The supermodel loves to lift, even with her hips.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Kate Upton likes lifting really heavy things. The 25-year-old model regularly posts photos and videos of her workouts on Instagram, so her love for lifting is no secret. Her latest impressive move? A high-powered hip thrust, posted by her longtime trainer, Ben Bruno.

In the video, Upton works through reps of hip thrusts with an unspecified (but clearly very heavy) barbell on her lap. "This hip thrust finisher burns like crazy, but it’s awesome," Bruno wrote on Instagram.

"Hip thrusts mainly work the glutes," fitness trainer Nadia Murdock tells SELF. They also work the hamstrings. "This move is designed to help improve your strength, speed, and power," she adds. The move has you fully extending the hips, and in the process, building strength and power in the muscles that you use to do so—the glutes. Hip thrusts also help increase stability in the lower back and core, says Murdock.

The motion of abducting the legs (aka, pushing them away from the body) against the tension of the band targets the gluteus medius, a smaller hip adductor muscle on the outer side of the pelvis that supports your hip and rotation of the thigh. Strengthening this muscle important for keeping the hips stable when you do other lower-body exercises like walking or running—which ultimately helps support other body parts, like your lower back. By adding this to the top of the thrust, Upton is working her glutes from all angles in just one move.

In his caption, Bruno broke down exactly how he walked Upton through the move: "With a mini-band just above the knees, start by doing one rep [lifting the hips up] followed by six band abductions at the top without letting the hips drop. Then do another rep with five abductions at the top, then four, then three, then two, then one," he writes. The move is so intense that Upton works through just six reps. Once her reps are complete, Upton wheels the barbell away with a big smile.

Both Bruno and Murdock advise working your way up to this move instead of jumping right in with the heaviest weight off the rack. "Kate is super strong on hip thrusts so she makes it look easy, but start with no weight at first and then slowly increase the weight over time," says Bruno. It's crucial not to strain yourself with a heavy weight. "Lifting too heavy too soon is a sure-fire way to cause injury. It’s always best to start light and work your way up," Murdock says.

Murdock suggests starting on a mat and mastering a regular glute bridge before elevating your back on a bench. This will allow you to work on the motion of stabilizing your core while lifting just the hips upward. Here's how to do it:

Lie faceup with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms by your sides. Your feet should be about hip-distance apart with your heels a few inches away from your butt.

Push through your heels to lift your hips up while squeezing your glutes. Try to create one diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees.

Pause for 1-2 seconds, then lower back down.

Slowly lower back down to the ground. That's 1 rep.

Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Once you master this, try doing the same motion with your upper back resting on a bench. This will give you a larger range of motion. Just make sure you're not arching your back as you move—think about tucking your pelvis under and maintaining a flat back. Eventually, you can add weight, starting small and working your way up over time. Add the band abductions for an extra bonus (try adding them to the regular hip bridges, too).

If you try Upton's move, know that you'll leave the gym feeling a next-level burn. As one commenter wrote, "this is buns day on a whole other level..."